Muse of Fire
by LaughterNeverDies
Summary: Merlin is constantly bullied by Arthur, he does his chores and picks up after the king, and yet he still never feels as though he is appreciated. Merlin has had enough of Arthur, and he's found a brand new way to shut him up...


**A/N: My knowledge of Merlin is limited to the first few episodes of season 5, so please excuse any inaccuracy! -K**

* * *

"How can they speak to me like that? I am the king! I deserve respect!" Merlin waited until Arthur turned his back and rolled his eyes.

"Of course, Sire." He said obediently.

"I mean, the nerve of it!" Arthur growled, punching the nearest unsuspecting object which just happened to be his bedpost. A flurry of dust sifted through the sunlight from the window and settled passively on the bed sheets. Merlin raised an eyebrow.

"Indeed."

"Don't you agree though? You may be thick Merlin but surely you can see how insolent that is!" Merlin sighed quietly to himself and nodded.

"Absolutely, God knows when you treat everyone else with such unrelenting respect you expect the same in return, _my Lord."_ Arthur paused.

"Is that sarcasm, Merlin?"

Merlin swallowed. "No..."

"Because if you're making fun of me-"

"I assure you I'm not."

Arthur put his face very close to Merlin's and narrowed his eyes aggressively. "Is there anything I can do, Your Majesty?" Merlin said, unaffected. Arthur moved away.

"No...no that's alright." Arthur stepped behind the screen and began taking off his armour methodically. Merlin smiled privately to himself in satisfaction. Arthur could be an insufferable bully at times, but Merlin rarely allowed him to get the upper hand, even if Arthur was the king.

* * *

"Merlin!" There was a small pause. "MERLIN!" Arthur roared.

Merlin bit back a groan and got to his feet, hurrying through the passages to the king's bedchamber to find Arthur standing bare-chested in the centre of the room with his hands on his hips, looking defiant.

"Yes?" Merlin asked innocently. Arthur glowered at him.

"Where is my shirt?"

"Pardon?"

"My shirt, where is it? I left it on the bed not a moment ago, have you seen it?"

Merlin looked at him witheringly. He pointed to the dresser without having to look properly. Arthur turned around and stared at his shirt dangling from the decorative carved curlicue of the dresser. "Right." He murmured.

* * *

Merlin sat quietly in the corner of the room at watched as Arthur stomped around, throwing his weight about in his anger. Arthur punched a pillow ineffectually and growled under his breath, muttering various obscenities. The king said something which obviously warranted an answer, because he was suddenly glaring at Merlin expectantly and all Merlin could think of was how that one muscle in Arthur's jaw jumped when he got irritable.

"I'm sorry Sire?"

"I said what do you think, shall I send the knights to search for them or not? Honestly Merlin it's like you're not even listening to me!"

Merlin smiled lopsidedly, "My apologies." Arthur stalked off again and carried on his pointless griping. Merlin watched him and thought about how satisfying it would be to punch him in the face. The thought filled him with a dangerous kind of glee and he revelled in it for a moment before Arthur summoned him to his side again.

* * *

"Go away Merlin I don't need you!" Merlin stopped in his tracks as Arthur pushed past him and into his chambers. Arthur threw himself into the room and let out a roar of distress. Merlin stood helplessly by the doorway. He had never seen the king like this before. Arthur lent against the bedpost, his head buried evasively in his arm.

"Go away. I don't need you now. Go away." He repeated quietly.

"Arthur," Merlin stepped softly over the threshold and approached the king hesitantly. It was one of those rare times when Merlin could get away with calling Arthur by his name and not his title. It brought them closer somehow, and class suddenly wasn't what was separating them.

"Just leave me alone, I can't speak to you right now." Arthur continued. "Didn't you hear me?" he said loudly, sounding increasingly threatening. Merlin came to stand in front of him, watching Arthur as he turned around. There was something else there, something...different.

"I said go AWA-" Merlin lunged forward, his heart hammering, and crushed his lips against Arthur's painfully. The king was forced back a step as Merlin practically jumped on him. He didn't move for a moment, too stunned to do anything but freeze as Merlin pushed against him, his hands cupping Arthur's jaw and holding him firmly in place. Their breath mingling as Merlin pressed Arthur into the kiss with strength that surprised them both. He had no idea what he was doing. He was numb; his skin prickling as the feeling returned slowly and his brain caught up with what his body was doing, starting with his lips. He realised that this was probably the single most stupid thing he had ever done.

Arthur seemed to wake up and suddenly he was pushing back at Merlin, fighting him off. He shoved his manservant away roughly and just looked at him, trying very hard to be disgusted. "Merlin what the hell are you doing?!" He cried, breathing heavily. Merlin just stared, his ridiculous ears sticking out adorably and his lips flushed a glorious pink from kissing. Merlin blinked at him like a startled deer.

"Arthur I- I'm so sorry I didn't think I-"Merlin stuttered. Arthur swallowed. He could taste him on his lips.

Merlin yelped as Arthur pounced on him, driving him backwards and pinning him against the wall. Merlin was convinced he was going to die, until Arthur scowled at him accusingly and leaned in...

Merlin barely had time to gasp a breath before Arthur was kissing him very hard. Arthur pinned Merlin's arms to his sides and pressed his body against the other man, taking control and effectively preventing Merlin from moving under him. Merlin struggled uselessly, his eyes slipping closed. Arthur let him free one arm to wrap around his back and draw the king closer. Arthur moved his arms up and cradled Merlin's face in his hands, his lips soft and wet as they kissed hungrily. Neither of them had ever realised they needed it before, but it was clear now how much they had been missing for all those years. Arthur ran his hands down Merlin's sides to rest on his hips, pulling them flush against his own with a small huff. Merlin responded by nipping Arthur's bottom lip and finding the courage to push back into him.

The two men stumbled backwards a few steps in a tangle of limbs until the back of Arthur's legs smacked into the mattress on his bed. Arthur opened his eyes as Merlin kissed him, watching briefly how Merlin's nose was slightly wrinkled in a small frown, and noticing for the first time the tiny freckle just beneath his right eyebrow. You wouldn't have seen it unless you were standing very close.

Merlin opened his eyes to find Arthur staring, and they pulled apart uncertainly.

"Hello," Merlin said quietly. The moment was such that they felt as though they had to introduce themselves all over again. A monumental change had come over them both and everything was new and exciting and just a tiny bit wonderful with the added thrill of danger.

"Hello," Arthur replied in a husky voice. Merlin smiled slowly and pushed Arthur back onto the bed. The king fell onto the mattress with his manservant on top of him. Merlin let his full weight rest on Arthur, which wasn't much. Arthur guessed he couldn't have weighed more than a sack of small potatoes he was so skinny. Merlin lay on top of him carefully, caging Arthur in his limbs and drawing his face close to the other man's. They kissed again, slower this time, and Arthur wrapped his arms around Merlin's small body. His fingers found the hem of Merlin's shirt and crept beneath it, allowing Arthur to flatten his palms over Merlin's warm back, pulling him closer.

Arthur closed his eyes, letting himself enjoy the comforting weight of Merlin on top of him, the pressure of his desperate kisses, the way Merlin's knee had at some point slipped between his thighs...

Merlin paused momentarily as Arthur let out a soft moan from underneath him and shifted slightly between his legs. Merlin didn't have time to question it before they were kissing again, more urgently now. Arthur tugged Merlin down roughly and his hands moved to the other man's dark hair, carding through it possessively. Merlin shuddered with pleasure as Arthur tugged on the soft downy hair at the nape of his neck. The king stopped for a moment and held Merlin away from him.

"Better," he commented, as though he were perusing a work of art. "I always hated it when your hair looked so perfectly combed." He mumbled, mussing up the front of Merlin's hair into a scruffy mess with tufts poking out at odd angles. Merlin chuckled and roughed it up some more. He looked like a puppy. Arthur tried unsuccessfully to suppress the idea.

"Well, thank God you don't have to worry about your hair being too neat, Sire." Merlin laughed as Arthur yanked him down again on top of him. The comment earned Merlin a sharp nip on the tip of his tongue as it tried to penetrate Arthur's warm mouth moments later.

Arthur grinned into the kiss, pulling suggestively at the hem of Merlin's shirt again. The other man blinked down at him and broke the contact to remove his shirt quickly. Arthur followed, tugging the heavy dress coat over his head first before taking off his undershirt. Merlin helped him off with the shirt, flinging it away carelessly along with his own. They would both laugh afterwards over how it had landed perfectly, caught on the corner of the dresser. They kicked their boots off and shed as much clothing as possible before the tension became too much. Merlin returned to Arthur with one of his genuine smiles. Arthur thought about how he had missed them every day Merlin wasn't there, even when he didn't know why.

Merlin took a moment to glance appreciatively over Arthur's chest, the lightly defined muscle heaving as Arthur caught his breath. The king raised an eyebrow and shifted slightly, subtly guiding Merlin's hips to slot against his own. Merlin swallowed thickly and Arthur smirked in satisfaction, tilting his hips just so until Merlin gasped audibly. Arthur gripped Merlin's waist and rolled them quickly so that Merlin stared up at him irritably from underneath him. Merlin had wondered how long Arthur could stand him being in control.

Arthur grinned wolfishly and ran his hands over Merlin's pale chest, settling on top of him and moving against him in slow circles. Merlin tipped his head back, his breathing heavy as Arthur rubbed up against him maddeningly. Arthur felt Merlin pressing back against his thigh and his heart began pounding in his chest. It felt so deliciously wrong and forbidden and Arthur couldn't stop the whimper of pleasure escaping from his lips. He was confident that Merlin was never going to let him forget that. Merlin put his lips close to Arthur's ear and whispered to him.

"I didn't lock the door." He murmured, and Arthur shivered as a shock of wicked delight coursed through him.

"How terrible of you Merlin," he replied, his voice deep and husky. "What if someone catches us?" Arthur growled, and Merlin felt sure that if he had been standing his knees would have given out, especially as Arthur deliberately hooked his thumbs into the waistband of his trousers and began lowering them. Merlin began to push the cotton pants over Arthur's hips and down to his thighs, and Arthur pulled away and clambered off of Merlin's lap to strip off the last item of clothing separating them. Merlin did the same, and Arthur gestured for him to get under the covers of the bed. Merlin slid beneath the sheets obediently, and Arthur climbed back on top of him, tugging the sheet up to cover them. They looked at each other momentarily and took note of their messy hair and flushed cheeks and lips and realised how stunning the other person was like this.

Arthur lowered his body and lay carefully on top of Merlin. The man beneath him hissed quietly as they came into contact and lifted his hips to meet him eagerly. Arthur found his rhythm, pushing into Merlin and rolling his hips against him, letting Merlin thrust upwards with wonderful friction. He moaned loudly and Merlin clapped a hand over his mouth, glaring at him sternly. Arthur bit Merlin's palm childishly and stifled another whimper as they moved together. They tried desperately to control their ragged breathing lest they be heard; every now and again one of them would let out a groan or make the other one gasp a little too loudly, but that was all part of the thrill.

Merlin had his arms wrapped tightly around Arthur, his head buried in the other man's thick shoulder and his lips clamped tightly shut. Arthur was panting into his neck, his fingernails digging into Merlin's shoulder blades. "Merlin..." Arthur croaked, thrusting against the other man, his back arching in pleasure.

Merlin gave a breathy moan in reply which might have been something like "Arthur..." and pushed into him, feeling the sweat trickling down Arthur's back as he moved his hands down to the king's rather wonderful arse. He gave a deliberate squeeze and Arthur jumped. Merlin got another angry nip, this time on his ear lobe, and he grunted in irritation. He felt Arthur smile against his skin, his movements stuttering briefly. Arthur moved suddenly and pressed his lips against Merlin's, his thrusts fast and rough, urging them both closer to the edge. Merlin sucked a breath as Arthur kissed him deeply.

Merlin came suddenly with a cry muffled against Arthur's lips. His vision swam with black dots and he felt lightheaded, but Arthur still held to him tightly, unable to reach completion. Merlin slipped a hand between them dazedly and wrapped his fingers around Arthur, stroking him quickly. He moved his lips around to Arthur's jaw, latching onto the spot just behind his ear and sucking hard. Arthur gasped, finding the first available piece of skin to bite down on to swallow his cries as he spilled over Merlin's hand. Merlin yelped in pain as Arthur sank his teeth into the meat of his shoulder but managed to stifle any further complaint as they both came down from their high. Arthur carefully extracted his teeth from Merlin's flesh and closed his eyes. "Sorry," he mumbled. Merlin chuckled, wiping his hand on the sheets surreptitiously. After a brief pause basking in the afterglow they began untangling themselves awkwardly, pausing to look at one another shyly as they did so. Arthur was about to crawl off of Merlin as the other man caught his gaze. Merlin grinned, and Arthur returned the smile, ruffling Merlin's hair affectionately before rolling to the side. Merlin sighed loudly and flopped onto his back beside Arthur.

"Well," said Arthur a little breathlessly "now we know what happens when you do that."

Merlin just lay there, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. "I think you drew blood." He murmured in a detached voice. Arthur made a noncommittal noise.

"You'll get over it," he replied. Merlin scowled.

"This isn't just going to become one of those things that happened once and we never talk about is it?" Merlin asked uncertainly.

There was a pregnant pause as Arthur considered this. "Do you want it to be?" He said, raising himself up on one elbow to look at Merlin. Merlin swallowed, refusing to meet his gaze.

"No."

Arthur sniffed thoughtfully. "Good." He replied, lying back down quietly.

Merlin stared at the ceiling absently, his head swimming. "Are you sure I'm not missing a chunk out of my shoulder?" He whined.

"Oh shut up Merlin." Arthur said without conviction. He tipped his head to the side and watched Merlin breathing. Merlin turned and looked at him. They smiled at each other softly.

"Hello," Arthur said.

Merlin grinned, "Hello."

* * *

**Thank you for reading, please review if you have the time! It would make my day! x**


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